


Thank You, Mr Peabody

by thatmitchsentho



Series: PP Rare Pair Week 2018 [3]
Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F, PP Rare Pair Week 2018, Single Parent AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 12:20:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14284818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatmitchsentho/pseuds/thatmitchsentho
Summary: Beca's touched down in Barden for a sabbatical - she needs to sort her shit out or she risks losing her album deal. There's no better place to get some tranquility and clarity than her small hometown. An unlikely catalyst in an unlikely location leads her to meet Stacie, a single mom raising her daughter, and after they hit it off they make a deal. Except these things never work out the way people want them to.





	Thank You, Mr Peabody

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Rare Pair Week 2018!  
> Day 3 - Single Parent

Beca Mitchell woke up to a flight attendant gently touching her on the arm. She peeled her eye mask off.

“Ms Mitchell,” the man said, “we will be touching down shortly.”

“Yeah, thanks,” she said. She rubbed her face and straightened in the oversize first class seat, grabbing her now-warm bottle of water and drinking what remained. She stretched her shoulders and arms just as the announcement came over the speakers that they were beginning their descent.

Back in Atlanta. She couldn’t believe it, but at the same time it had been a long time coming. At the start of her career she had handled the fame well - she tried to stay low profile, keep out of trouble. It worked for a while, for a couple of years before it changed. Life became a blur. The occasional party got a lot more frequent. She didn’t do anything drastically stupid or illegal but the name Beca Mitchell was being seen alongside the words ‘notorious party girl’ a lot more often than ‘accomplished musician and producer’ recently. 

It was a bad look for her and a bad look for the label so she was encouraged by her manager to take some time off, at least six months, to clean her shit up because the label was seriously considering buying out her last two albums from the contract and severing their partnership. When they’d talked about it - more a heated argument - Travis had flat out told her she needed to cut the alcohol out because it made her an arrogant little shit, and she might be talented but she didn’t have enough talent on call to outweigh her arrogance. 

That had been the wake up call Beca needed. She didn’t want to be the idiot who partied her career away before it really got going. She had so much music left that she wanted to make. So she promised him and the label that she’d go home for six months, work on the drinking thing and try to get straight. He seemed genuine when he said he hoped she pulled through and offered any help she needed.

And it wasn’t an entirely crazy notion, going back to Barden. She could be relatively unknown there. Her apartment in New York was dead in the city and if she looked out of her window for a period of three months she could see a giant billboard of her own face. And LA was no better. But Barden, she could just hang out at her dads, maybe go to a few of the coffee shops and music stores she’d favoured in the whole year of college she’d managed to attend before she was whisked away to Los Angeles. 

The landing was uneventful and Beca was soon wheeling her small carryon toward the baggage claim. She pumped a couple of quarters into a luggage cart and wheeled it over toward the carousel so she could load her two suitcases on, as well as the hard case she toted her mixing gear in. As she exited the airport she found the driver holding a sign that said ‘Mitchell’ and helped him load her gear into the back of the car. She asked if he would mind waiting while she smoked a cigarette so she didn’t smoke inside his car. He seemed to appreciate the consideration.

“Would you like to make any stops along the way?” he asked.

“Just somewhere to get some coffee and a restroom,” Beca said. “Thanks.”

The driver stopped at a Dunkin Donuts where Beca headed inside to use the restroom before buying two cups of coffee and some donuts for herself and the driver, before sliding into the backseat. It was a couple of hours back to Barden so once the coffee was gone she pulled her headphones on and turned her music up. They pulled up at her dad’s place later that afternoon and he immediately came out to wrap in her in a hug. 

“Hey kiddo,” he said. 

“Hi dad,” she said. “Thanks for letting me come home.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” he said. “You’re welcome any time, you know that.” The driver pulled all of Beca’s stuff out and she slid him a generous tip. Her dad helped her get it all inside and carry it up to her old room. But she didn’t unpack, she headed to the kitchen to find Sheila.

“There she is,” Sheila said, coming around the kitchen island to give her a hug. “You need feeding up, young lady.” Beca laughed a little. Sheila always said she needed feeding up.

“I presume you’ve started cooking already?” Beca said. She moved to the corner to start the coffee maker, but Sheila shooed her back to the bench to sit down.

“I have some cake,” Sheila said. “But I’ve started on dinner. Haven’t developed any weird tastes while you were away?”

“Nope,” Beca said. “But again, Sheila. You don’t have to put yourself while I’m here on sabbatical.”

“Like there is a power in this universe that’s going to stop me fussing over you,” Sheila replied. “I’m glad you’re here, Beca.” She made three cups of coffee and they chatted over their drinks about the mundane things - the flight, whether she’d miss work. 

“What do you have planned?” her father asked.

“Might just sleep as much as I can for the first few days,” Beca said. “Wander around town, see what I can find. I’ll come have lunch with you on campus if you like. But yeah… I know you’re not an idiot dad. You’ve seen and read some pretty unflattering things about me. I’m here to get right, maybe see if I can quit drinking. I don’t want to screw up my career just because I got sucked into clubs and parties.”

“I’m glad,” he said. “I’ve worried about you, but you’re also an adult, Beca. But whatever you need - Sheila and I are more than happy to help in any way we can. We’ll stop drinking at home if you need.”

“I’m not going to ask you to stop buying alcohol,” Beca said. “I’m going to need to be able to function around it without succumbing to it.”

“And the smoking?” her dad asked pointedly, Beca sighed.

“I know, it’s gross,” she said. “I need to get the alcohol thing sorted first, but I do want to quit. I know how stupid it is for someone who literally counts on their lungs and voice to smoke. But I won’t smoke in the house, I swear. Just… one step at a time and the alcohol has to be the first thing I get a handle on.” He got up and ruffled her hair on the way past.

“You’re gonna be fine kiddo,” he said. 

Beca took her coffee and finished it out on the steps of the back patio with a cigarette, sunglasses on. At least Barden was nice to look at. Her dad’s place was on the cusp of where the suburb blocks started to get a little bigger and the cluster of housing was giving way to acreage. 

She ground the butt of her cigarette out with the heel of her converse, and then picked it up so she could throw it away. She deposited her coffee cup into the dishwasher on the way through the house, promising to come and set the table for dinner after she took a shower. Sheila said no, absolutely not, she still hadn’t even unpacked so for tonight she wouldn’t have to worry about pitching in. Beca smiled and headed upstairs to her room.

If she had to pick the hardest part about being home, it’d be the space thing. Because her bedroom wasn’t small, but it was not the kind of space she was accustomed to. She’d make it work though. She immediately noted she’d have to buy a table of some kind, because even her traveling sound gear was not going to fit on the tiny desk she had. But that was a future problem. 

She headed for the bathroom, aching to take a long, hot shower to rid herself of the disgusting feeling of travel. She stayed under the spray for quite a while - reminding herself to chip in for utilities because she was probably going to raise their bills with the sort of showers she took, not to mention the sound gear eating electricity - and then changed into some sweatpants and a shirt. She spent the rest of the time before dinner unpacking herself, getting herself settled. 

It was a pretty simple first few days back. She did catch up on some sleep, got used to not checking emails or calling her boss every hour or so. She helped Sheila out around the house a bit, did some groceries with her. But she also wanted to get started on some of the music. She’d picked out a new table for her room that she’d be able to fit all her gear on, and her dad had helped her put it together. 

The following morning, Beca opened the hard case to pull out her stuff. She spent some time connecting everything and getting it set up the way she wanted. The new table was plenty big enough and she was soon ready to start working on some music. She was a little confused when she couldn’t find her hard drives. She was sure she packed them, so she opened up the hard case again. She poked around inside, but she couldn’t find the little zip carrying case she kept her hard drives in. She could have sworn she’d packed them all when she’d collected the gear she wanted from her office. She frowned and pulled out her cell to send a text her assistant Ryan.

[Hey Ryan, any chance you can check my office and see if there’s a little black zip case on the desk? Missing some hard drives.]

She got a picture message back a few moments later, the zip case sitting square on top of her desk. 

[Anything urgent? Can courier to you if necessary. Reminder: You’re supposed to be on sabbatical.] Beca sighed. She guessed she could always go and get a couple.

[Nope not urgent. Just needed to know where they were. Lock them up for me though, some unfinished work on there.] Then she grabbed her shoes and tugged them on before heading downstairs.

“Hey, Sheila,” Beca said. “Mind if I borrow the car? I need to pick up a few things in town.”

“As long as you don’t mind dropping off a few things at the post office, not at all,” Sheila said. She handed the keys over and gave Beca two letters she needed dropping off.

“If you need me to pick anything up, just text,” Beca said. “I might wander around for a bit. Grab a burger or something.”

“I’m planning pork roast for dinner,” Sheila said. Beca headed out and drove into town. She decided to go to the post office first, dropping off Sheila’s mail. Then she walked a few shops down and got some coffee, before setting her sights on the Best Buy at the end of the street. She couldn’t tell if people recognised her or not - she was keeping her sunglasses and headphones on regardless - as she walked down to the sprawling store.

She knew exactly what she was after but decided to browse a little. Her dad had been complaining about his laptop the day before and she thought she might buy him a new one since she was here anyway. She strolled past some displays and was weighing a couple of the notebooks up against each other when she felt a tugging at her hand.

Looking down she saw a little girl, maybe five years old standing at her side looking scared. The little girl beckoned for Beca to come closer. Looking around and not seeing a parent, she crouched down.

“Hey,” Beca said. “Are you lost?”

“Yup,” the girl said. “I saw Mr Peabody on the TV and then my mama was gone.”

“You want some help?” Beca asked. “I’m sure we can find someone who works here to help us find your mom. What’s your name? And her name?”

“Mom’s name is Stacie,” the girl said. “I’m Bella Miriam Conrad.” Beca nodded. The kid was cute and she didn’t seem like she was about to start bawling or anything so she held out her hand.

“Okay then, Bella,” Beca said. “My name is Beca. Let’s see if we can’t find your mom.” 

It didn’t take long to find the elusive mother, she was walking up the main aisle - not in a flustered panic, but calmly looking up and down each aisle and calling Bella’s name. The little girl broke free from Beca’s grasp and ran toward her.

“Mama!” she said. “I got lost, mama. I’m sorry I saw Mr Peabody.” The woman was hugging her little girl tightly and pressed a kiss into her hair.

“I’m just glad you’re okay,” the woman was saying. She stood up and approached Beca. “And thank you, so much. She’s not normally a wanderer but if she saw Mr Peabody somewhere then I had no chance.”

“Not a prob,” Beca said. She took half a step back. The woman was extremely tall and also extremely good looking. Beca could see the mother-daughter resemblance in them - they had similar shaped faces, lips. Same coloured eyes.

“I’m Stacie,” the woman said.

“Beca,” she replied. “Well… uh, since you guys are okay, I’ll just… you know.”

“Oh, no,” Stacie said. “If you’re not busy, let me buy you a cup of coffee to say thanks.”

“It’s not necessary,” Beca said. “Your kid found me and we walked about ten metres together.”

“Mama, we have ballet anyway,” Bella said.

“Oh yeah,” Stacie said, checking her watch. “We need to get a wriggle on, young lady. Beca, thank you again.”

“Yeah, thanks Beca!” Bella said. 

“You just make sure you stick with your mama, even though I can’t argue with your cartoon tastes,” Beca said. The little girl nodded and her mother led her away. Beca couldn’t help watching her go. She had a hell of a body, and she was nothing if not appreciative of a fine female form.

She headed back to the notebooks and picked one out for her dad, a salesman arranging for her to pick it up at the checkout, and then grabbed a couple of hard drives for good measure. She put her purchases in her car while she grabbed another cup of coffee and smoked two cigarettes sitting on the hood.

“Ma’am, you can’t sit on someone’s private vehicle to smoke,” a young voice said. It was a police officer, looking barely old enough to vote let alone be a cop. She tugged the keys out of her pocket.

“It’s mine,” she said. “Just promised I wouldn’t smoke in the car.” He nodded at her.

“Sorry to disturb you,” he said and moved along without a fuss. She was kind of glad nobody really recognised her face here in Barden. And apart from maybe a dozen people, she didn’t really recognise many faces herself. Though she wouldn’t mind seeing that Stacie’s face again. She immediately chided herself - she was probably married or at the least had a partner.

She headed home and found her dad had gotten home from work, so she spent an hour helping him set up his new laptop. He was extremely appreciative of the gift, reminding her that it wasn’t necessary for her to just keep buying stuff for them.

“Yeah, dad, maybe we should sit down sometime soon and I can tell you just how well I’m doing,” Beca said. “From a financial standpoint. Basically you and Sheila pretty much don’t need to worry about anything, trust me. It’s better to spend it on you guys than just let it sit there.” 

“Did you want to come and meet me for lunch on campus tomorrow?” he asked. 

“Yeah, sure,” she said. “That sub place still alive and kicking?”

“It’s one of the most popular places on campus,” her dad said. “So if you were looking to stay anonymous it’s probably not the best bet.”

“How about I bring us lunch from Billy’s then?” Beca said. She knew the diner was still operational, at least. She’d already had coffee from there twice.

“Deal,” he said. “Tomorrow my lunch break is going to be a little later though, quarter to two.”

“That’s fine,” Beca said. She left him to his new toy and headed upstairs to start working on some stuff of her own. 

Part of her plan for coming to Barden was to work on enough material to have an album ready to record when she came back. She knew she had to deal with the alcohol thing as well, but she figured work would be the best distraction from that. She didn’t consider herself a person who needed alcohol to get through the day, more just someone who tended to indulge too much when she was in certain kinds of company. It was about her ability to say no more than the drinking, as well as her confidence. 

That one would probably surprise a lot of people - especially since the alcohol turned her into an egotistical dick - but she still wasn’t the most confident person. She used the alcohol to bolster her confidence, but took it too far most of the time. So she was quite alright wasting the rest of her afternoon working on music, and she wasn’t missing the fact that she hadn’t drunk a single drop of anything alcoholic in the few days she’d been home at all.

The next day she headed to her dad’s office on campus toting some roast pork sandwiches and fries from the diner. She again had her headphones and sunglasses on to help her avoid being potentially recognised, especially since her fanbase was largely high school through early twenties. She found the English building and located her dad’s office. 

Lunch was fine, they mainly talked about what he was working on, the meal interrupted a handful of times by students looking for help, but he moved them all on and booked office hours with them instead. After they were done, Beca headed outside, fully intending on going back home.

She didn’t count on colliding with a body, sending papers flying. But her sunglasses, headphones and ducked head meant she really hadn’t seen the person coming. A woman apparently. She immediately looked up and pulled the headphones up so she could apologise.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Beca said. She realised she knew that face. 

“Oh,” the woman said. “It’s you. Beca.”

“Stacie,” she said. She immediately began helping her collect her stuff together. “I’m sorry, I was trying to sneak off campus without getting noticed, my dad teaches English here and we had lunch.” She was sort of glad she was able to see this girl again. She was… still ridiculously good looking.

“It’s fine, I’m not hurt,” Stacie said, picking up some others. “Your dad teaches here?”

“Mitchell,” she said. “Comparative Literature.”

“Ah,” Stacie said. 

“What are you studying?” Beca asked. Stacie shook her head.

“Not studying,” she said. “I’m a tutor in the Engineering faculty. I was just picking up some grading to take home. But… apparently we were fated to meet again. So do you have time for coffee today?”

“Uh, yeah,” Beca said. “Bella?”

“She’s at preschool,” Stacie said. “And today she’s with her grandparents anyway. Her dad’s parents live in town and they like to take her one night a week. I think it makes them feel better about the fact that their son bailed on us three weeks after she was born.”

“Ouch,” Beca said. 

“Eh, we’re better off. There’s a Starbucks on the other side of town,” Stacie said. “Can I meet you there in about twenty minutes? I’m assuming you have a car.”

“Yeah, I’ll meet you there,” Beca said. “And again, the running into you thing. I’m sorry.”

“Maybe if you buy the first round we’ll call it even,” Stacie said with a slightly arched eyebrow. Beca felt a tug in her gut. She hoped this woman was at least a tiny bit into girls because she kind of wanted to be all over her.

“Definitely.” Stacie headed off and she headed in a slightly different direction to head back to her car and make her way to the Starbucks. She knew where it was, but she hadn’t driven there since before she’d left Barden, which was a long time ago now. 

She made it with time to spare, so she quickly fit a cigarette in and scoped out a table in the corner. Stacie hadn’t arrived yet, so she made sure she still had an eyeline to the door for when she got there. Stacie pushed the door open and Beca again was struck by how good she looked. Half the problem with her hormonal attitude was likely that she’d gone a little while without hooking up with anyone, but she also figured if she asked everyone in the Starbucks whether the girl was hot, they’d agree.

“What do you drink?” Beca asked. 

“Cappuccino no sugar,” Stacie said. “Thanks.” Beca went and ordered their drinks and brought them back to the table.

“So you’re an engineering tutor?” Beca asked.

“It’s a pretty decent gig,” Stacie said. “I only have to be on campus three days a week and that means I get to spend more time with Bella.”

“So what kind of engineering are you tutoring though?” Beca asked.

“Robotics and microbotics,” Stacie said. Beca was impressed.

“So you’re a genius of some kind,” she said.

“Science has always made sense to me,” Stacie shrugged. “When Bella goes to school next year I’ll think about applying for a doctorate program. The professors I work for think I should. I just want to make sure I’m doing the right thing by Bella. I’ve heard nightmare stories about doctoral research.”

“I’m not the person to ask, I dropped out after freshman year,” Beca said. They locked eyes, and Beca couldn’t tell if Stacie knew who she was or not. And she didn’t want to be arrogant enough to assume she did, or condescending enough to assume she didn’t.

“Relax,” Stacie said. “I know who you are, as much as anyone else does. Which specifically isn’t much, but I know you’re a musician and a producer, but also that you’re having a career crisis of sorts.”

“Not a career crisis, a personal one,” Beca said. She found it very easy to spill her guts to this stranger. Probably the anonymity of it. “I’m not nearly confident enough to pull off this fame thing and I overcompensate with alcohol. Then I make bad decisions and leave a bad impression of both myself and the label.”

“So the stories aren’t true?” Stacie asked curiously.

“No, they are,” Beca said. “Unfortunately. All the wild child, party rep, true. I’m taking a sabbatical I guess. I need to get my head straight so I don’t fuck this thing up. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do, and I really hate the fact that I’ve come so close to throwing it away.”

“Which is why you’ve come home.”

“I have places in New York and LA, but neither of them would work,” Beca said. “I need space. And to not be in a city.”

“I admire the fact that you’re not bullshitting about your problems,” Stacie said. “You’re not blaming anyone else. Taking ownership.”

“It’s my problem,” Beca said. “I think part of my confidence issue comes with the fact that I don’t have close friends nearby. I have managers and coworkers and people I know in a loose application of the word... sometimes I wonder if people would actually like the Beca Mitchell that exists behind the scenes. I’m a lot more of a nerd than they’d think. And I’m not exactly a people person.”

“I think that kind of life would be hard,” Stacie said. “Your career probably gives it an added layer of difficulty, but I also don’t think those problems are singularly yours. Lots of people feel inadequate in what they do. I used to. I used to be a short skirt, boobs out the front kind of girl, really forward and direct, sexually speaking. All I got was knocked up and dumped. I’m still forward and direct, but I’m forward and direct about things that aren’t related to my body image. My academics. My kid.”

“Oh you could be very forward about your boobs and I wouldn’t have a problem,” Beca mumbled. Stacie arched her eyebrow.

“I know you thought that was sufficiently quiet for me not to hear that,” Stacie said. “But I did. I’m glad you appreciate my boobs. They’ve been feeling somewhat unloved lately.” Beca blushed hard for a moment but then she met Stacie’s eyes. They’d changed a little and she was definitely feeling like Stacie was dropping a vibe here.

“That seems a shame,” Beca said. “So there’s no plus one to the Conrad girls?”

“How did you know that was my last name?” Stacie asked.

“Bella told me,” she said. “I asked her what your name was so we could find you.”

“Oh,” Stacie said. “Right. Anyway, no plus one. Nobody comes near the Conrad girls anyway. I don’t need Bella to get attached to someone who won’t hang around.”

“I’m not hanging around,” Beca clarified. “I’m not in Barden for good, Stacie, you surely understand that.” Stacie’s foot was brushing up the side of her calf.

“I know,” she said. “But if you recall, I also said that Bella would not be home tonight. That sort of arrangement is perfectly okay. The fact you aren’t hanging around might even be better, it’d save the eventual gossip anyway.”

“I’m going to say something incredibly insensitive,” Beca said. “But possibly necessary.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to fuck you and go to the press,” Stacie said. “I just think you’re cute. You’ve got the dark and moody happening, the skinny jeans and the leather jacket. I’m also not going to force the issue though. If you’re not into the idea of hooking up, that’s cool. I’ve still enjoyed the coffee.”

“Uh, let’s not be hasty,” Beca said. “Hooking up is not off the table here. It just took me by surprise. I’m not really good at the logistics around these things.”

“Well let me lay out a plan,” Stacie said. “I caught a cab here, I don’t live far. If you want to come back to my place, we can be there in less than ten minutes. I’m offering sex, maybe dinner if we can waste that much time. But I don’t do sleepovers because Bella will be home at nine in the morning, and I don’t do family things unless there’s a future. But sex? On a casual basis while you’re in town? That can be arranged.”

“Holy shit,” Beca said. “I’m not going to pretend that it’s not something I’m interested in. I’m down for that arrangement. I literally don’t have anything on the books til I get myself sorted, so provided we can manage the you and Bella stuff, I’m in.”

“Let’s go then,” Stacie said. She stood up and Beca led her out to Sheila’s car. She stopped to text Sheila that she wouldn’t be home for dinner - the woman would cook a feast otherwise.

“Not what I pictured you driving,” Stacie said, leaning against the side of the car. Beca eyed her body in a manner that she hoped wasn’t obvious

“It’s my stepmothers,” Beca said as she unlocked it. They got in and belted up, Stacie navigating them for the short trip to her place. It was a small house, but it was tidy. Stacie gave her a quick tour and Beca noted it did have a nice big yard, the tiny bike and scattering of swings and slides proving that Bella made good use of it.

“Normally I’d be offering you a drink right now,” Stacie said. “I feel like that would be inappropriate given the circumstances.” She moved closer to the smaller woman.

“Yeah,” Beca said. Her fingers snagged the hem of Stacie’s shirt as she stepped in and closed the gap. “Sure this arrangement is okay with you?” Stacie just took her face with both hands and kissed her hard. 

Beca was sure she’d never quite been kissed like this. A lot of the time people were looking to her to take control of the encounter, and she honestly didn’t mind that. But Stacie was in control from the second that their lips met. It was a welcome change and it was definitely something she found appealing. Stacie’s hand fisted in the back of her hair and she tugged just a bit, making Beca gasp. She responded by letting her teeth catch over Stacie’s lip on the next kiss, and that was the only cue needed to start stripping her jacket off and shoving her toward the bedroom. 

A little over an hour later, Beca was extremely glad that she’d come home to Barden. Stacie was not shy in the bedroom, and she was feeling more satisfied now than she had in a very long time. She would definitely feel the marks on her body in a couple of hours - crescent moons slightly punctured into her back, and a spectacularly blossoming bruise on the side of one breast - but she wasn’t complaining in the slightest. Stacie had offered her the shower while she ordered some food in - she liked to cook proper meals for Bella but normally ended up caving for takeout on the one night that she was alone. 

So Beca took a quick shower and then tugged on her shirt. They both agreed that borrowing clothes wasn’t really an option - maybe a shirt would be okay but there was no way Beca was going to fit into the taller woman’s pants - Stacie was a good six inches taller than her. She pulled her jeans back on and Stacie disappeared for the bathroom to take a shower of her own. The food arrived while she was still in the shower so Beca handed over cash from her own pocket and had it unpacked by the time Stacie came back.

“Can I interest you in some water or soda?” Stacie offered. “I’ve got Sprite and Dr Pepper.”

“I’ll take a Dr Pepper,” Beca said. They ate on the couch, passing dishes between each other and just using their own chopsticks. 

“So,” Stacie said. “This can keep going? Because that was a lot of fun, honestly. I love Bella and I’m pretty damned happy with the way my life is going, but I do miss good sex. And that was better than good.”

“I’d be happy to keep it going,” Beca said. “I’ll give you my number and you just let me know when works for you.”

“Seems like a tawdry booty call when you say it like that,” Stacie laughed.

“Kinda is a tawdry booty call,” Beca said. “Not complaining.” They finished up dinner and Beca didn’t hang around. She knew it was against Stacie’s rules. So she entered her number into Stacie’s phone and drove home.

Sheila and her dad were awake when she got home, watching television in the den. She stopped and chatted with them, mentioning that she’d met up with someone she’d had some classes with years ago and they took the opportunity to catch up. That seemed to please her dad. 

But she was craving a cigarette, since she hadn’t managed one since before she got to Stacie’s place, so she went and sat on the back steps for a while. She only smoked the one cigarette, but it was a nice night. Quiet. Clear. She thought about Stacie. The sex. She felt good about it. So when she headed back inside to make some coffee and work on some music it was with a smile.

She let a few weeks pass before she really started getting serious about the alcohol thing. She and Stacie were seeing each other maybe twice a week. Normally it was just sex, some conversation or food. She’d only run into Bella once more and the girl had waved at her but neither or Stacie or Beca wanted to make a big deal of it. But Stacie had asked her how the drinking stuff was going and she’d shrugged. She honestly didn’t know where to start. 

Stacie had recommended seeing a counsellor - because she didn’t think Beca’s problem was alcohol, she felt it was self esteem and alcohol was a convenient crutch. Beca admitted she was most likely right, and had asked Sheila if she could help her find someone. Sheila asked around, people she knew, without dropping hints about Beca being in town, and Beca made an appointment with a counsellor.

It was an interesting experience. Beca wasn’t used to talking about herself. But she did with this guy, for an hour at a time, twice a week. She talked a lot about not feeling like she was good enough or the right kind of person for this career and how she drank because it made her bolder and more assertive. She didn’t even like the idiot she became when she was drinking but she had this overwhelming fear that people would look at her and know she didn’t belong there with them. Because she was young. Because she was a woman, because she was gay, because the first album could have been a fluke and the next two might be a coincidence. She admitted that all of that pretty much made her anxious, which only made her want to drink more.

According to the counsellor, she should read up on something called impostor syndrome. It wasn’t as uncommon as Beca thought, especially for high achieving women. The more she talked about it with him and the more she read up about it, the more she finally understood what was happening to her. She talked about it with her dad a bit too, and he didn’t really have much to add from a psychological standpoint, but he did say that someone who worked as hard as Beca had on her music for so long - years and years - definitely wasn’t an impostor. She was a professional, and what’s more, an accomplished professional. 

That had made a huge difference to Beca. Her dad had been supportive of her music career in a roundabout way, but she often felt like he secretly wished she’d picked a more conventional career path. Hearing him say that she was an accomplished professional made her a little emotional. 

She’d been in Barden four months when she felt like she was making real progress. The counselling was helping. But so was having a friend. She and Stacie might be sleeping together first and foremost but it was getting to the point where she considered her a friend. Their texts were no longer just a time for their next hookup. They texted a couple of times a day. Stacie was still being reserved with Bella - which Beca understood. But she talked about her a lot. 

She was just dragging herself home after a morning session with Stacie before the taller girl headed into campus to take care of some work. As she sat down in front of her computer, she received a text from Stacie.

[Damn Beca I’m sitting here at work but my head’s back in bed with you. Your body’s got me like…] followed by a series of emoji. Beca smiled. And then she immediately began humming something, and she picked up a pencil and powered up her work gear at the same time. 

The first song poured out of her in just minutes. And then it didn’t stop. She kept writing. She pretty much worked non stop, breaking only to go to therapy, to meet up with Stacie, and to have dinner with Sheila and her dad. The stretch went for weeks.

Once she realised she had twenty six songs lined up, she sat back and thought for a while. She hadn’t had a creative burst like this since just before the second album. And she’d phoned the third one in, basically, which had shown in the sales. But as she listened back to the tracks, she realised that they were actually really good. And the fact that she could admit that meant that she must be improving. 

She brought it up with her counsellor and he agreed that she was doing better with the impostor syndrome side of things, but the anxiety would have to be something she kept an eye on when she returned to work. She promised she would, but she was now very seriously thinking about returning to work. She made some calls to her manager. Long calls, and they talked pretty frankly about everything Beca had been dealing with down in Barden.

“But the drinking?” he asked. “You’re definitely done?”

“I haven’t actually had a drink the whole time I’ve been down here,” she said. “And I don’t miss it.”

They talked again a few days later and Beca was ready to move back to New York. Not LA, was the decision. She felt more at home in New York, and there were some people there that she considered actual friends and not just party friends. Travis was okay with that arrangement. The label had a smaller studio there and whilst it would be a lot harder than having her in LA, he had to relent after he heard about the work she'd done on herself and what she’d been doing in terms of music as well.

“Beca,” he said. “Couple of those songs. It’s the first time you’ve gone specific with a pronoun.” She knew what Travis was getting at. She wasn’t in the closet but she’d always tried to keep her music relatively gender neutral. But she wasn’t interested in that any more, which she explained, and he accepted. 

Her dad was sad to see her go, but happy that she was well enough to go. Sheila helped her pack everything back up and make the arrangements. Soon she was only a few days from leaving, and the only thing that was unfinished was Stacie. 

She’d filled her in when she realised she was ready to go back, and she’d been naturally supportive. But the closer her departure date got, the more unsettled she felt about it. And then Stacie had texted her and asked her to come over for dinner, mentioning that Bella would also be there. For some reason, it felt different. 

It had been different. They weren’t all over each other from the second they got inside. Stacie had ordered pizza and they’d eaten on the back patio while Bella flitted between her slices and her bike. It had been nice. Normal. The kid was smart and she was imaginative. And Stacie was a great mom. She tidied up while Stacie tucked her into bed, and then they just sat next to each other on the couch.

“Is it breaking some kind of rule if I say I’m really going to miss you?” Beca asked her. 

“I’m going to miss you, too,” Stacie said. “I know we went into this thing very clear that it was not going to be forever, but I kind of think it sucks that this is how we end things.”

“It does suck,” Beca said. “The sex has been amazing, but you mean a lot to me. Pretty much my best friend at this point.” Stacie leaned over and kissed her hard.

“One more?” Stacie asked her.

“It’s getting a bit late,” Beca said. 

“I know, no sleepovers,” Stacie said, fingers unbuttoning Beca’s shirt. “Maybe I could relax the rule just this once.”

“Are you sure?” Beca asked her. “It won’t make things weird?”

“It’ll only make it weird if you can’t keep the noise level down,” Stacie said. “Bella sleeps pretty solid, but you can get carried away.” Beca kissed her back and pulled the taller woman down on top of her. 

The morning was weird though. They were both quiet. Bella didn’t notice, so that was at least a plus. But Beca had a flight to catch the next day so she really had to get back to her dad’s and sort out her last minute packing. Stacie walked her out to the car while Bella played with a purple and green space station in the living room. In a first, she pulled Beca toward her and kissed her hard on the sidewalk.

“Um,” Beca said. “Stace, you’re the best. And I know we said sex only but I really will… you know. Miss you. I hope it’s okay if I still text you from time to time.” Stacie didn’t say anything, she just nodded as Beca got into the car. But as Beca drove away, she could swear that Stacie was wiping at her eyes. She hated that it felt like a break up. 

But she had no time to dwell on it. She tidied up the last of her stuff, declaring herself finally packed. Sheila had called the car service to come and pick her up first thing in the morning, and she’d also cooked a fancy dinner for her. 

Life became a blur again. There were airports and cars and her New York apartment. Travis had come to the city to talk to her and they lined up her new album, which Beca had worked to finish up as quickly as possible. She felt good. She still hadn’t had a drink. She didn’t feel like a fraud. She did still smoke, though she figured she couldn’t expect miracles. 

But she’d not yet heard from Stacie, nor had she managed to text her herself. She felt weird, like she was trying to slide back in on an ex. Which Stacie never was. Though she thought about her like she was, and she’d written more than one song on that album about her. 

She was halfway through a cigarette when she realised that she loved her. Missed her. Hated not seeing her. And she wanted to take a chance. 

It seemed stupid, that she’d fallen for a part time college tutor, single mom from suburban Barden, Georgia. But she had. She was gorgeous, intelligent, passionate, and about a thousand things Beca needed. But she had an album launch in just a couple of days and she had a lot riding on it, since she tried to destroy her career not so long ago. 

She did have a plan, though. And she just hoped it was enough. She’d made the calls, did a few things. Now she just had to wait. 

Stacie answered the door to a FedEx driver, who said she had a package. She had no idea what it was, but signed for it anyway. Then she saw the return address. Beca. 

She’d sat on the couch for ten solid minutes before she opened it. Beca was something she was trying to move past but she just couldn’t. She just couldn’t get the smaller woman out of her head. She hadn’t wanted to let her go, but she knew that she had a career and a life to get back to. It wasn’t what either of them had signed up for, and it wasn’t fair for her to change the rules right as she was leaving.

When she opened it, she smiled. It was a CD of her latest album. Not even released yet. And it was accompanied by a note and a second envelope. She read the note first.

_I know this is breaking the rules, but I miss you. More than I thought I would. And I’m here in New York and I just can’t stop thinking about you. I was cutting down the tracks for this album and it turns out that all the best songs I’ve written were about you. I sent you a copy so you can hear it - just don’t tell anyone I’m shipping this thing out before it’s released. Beca._

She put the CD on and Bella came running in as the music began. The two of them danced around to the first two songs, definitely club appropriate music. Then they took a more indie dance vibe and Stacie found herself stuck on some of the words of the fifth song. 

_My head’s back in bed with you_  
_Your body’s got me like_  
_Your body’s got me like_  
_Your body’s got me like_  
_Can’t even think straight right now_  
_Coz I’m thinking bout the way your body feels on mine_

She knew she’d sent some of that in a text to Beca. She sighed and picked up the large envelope. As she opened it, the first thing that fell out was a couple of pamphlets for PhD programs in New York. Then it was a brochure for a private elementary school, again in New York. There was another letter.

_I’m not saying we should get married, or that you need to move here. I’m saying we could try to make it work, though. I know you have Bella to consider and you said you were happy with your life in Barden, but I would do whatever I had to do to make you guys happy. I’ll fly down to Barden every weekend if I have to. I don’t know, Stacie, I just love you._

_Yeah I said it. I’m sitting in this apartment and I’m on my own and I don’t want anyone to be here with me if it isn’t you. I know this is a big, stupid move for me to make but maybe if you’re even thinking a little bit the same way I am, you could give me a call some time._

Bella was drawing at a child size table in the corner, head still bopping away to Beca’s music. She watched her little girl and started thinking about all the rules she’d put in place for them. About not having sleepovers and no getting too close to people who were just going to leave. She’d broken both those rules with Beca and she felt like maybe those rules were doing a disservice to her and to Bella. She was so adamant that she needed to keep people at arms length but even her wariness hadn’t prepared her for Beca.

That night she put Bella to bed and sat staring at her phone for a long time. But she eventually picked it up and dialed.

Beca was at home, kicking back on her couch. She’d made the executive decision to spend the night and the weekend resting up because she was about to get super busy with press. But as her phone rang, a broad smile spread across her face. Stacie.

“Hey,” she said picking up the phone.

“Hey,” Stacie responded. Beca could feel her heart thudding in her chest. She assumed this meant Stacie had received her package. There was a prolonged silence.

“Stace?” Beca ventured nervously. 

“I miss you too,” Stacie said. “Beca I know I said I wanted to keep things strictly sexual but Christ I do miss you. And your music is amazing and I can’t believe you wrote so much of that about us and I honestly don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Yeah well neither do I,” Beca said. “How’s Bella?”

“Asleep,” Stacie said softly. “Day you left she asked me why I was crying and when I said I was sad that you were gone she brought me tissues.” Beca hated that ending their - whatever kind of arrangement it was - had made Stacie cry.

“And here I was thinking I was an idiot because it felt like a breakup,” she said. “What do we do here, Stacie?”

“Do you really love me?” came the next question.

“Yeah I do,” Beca said. “And I know it’s complicated because of Bella but it’s still the truth. I love you.” 

“I have been very good at keeping everyone an appropriate distance away,” Stacie said. “Probably not wanting to go through what happened with Bella’s dad all over again. But I don’t want to keep you away, Beca.”

“I’m not a genius like you, Stace, you’re going to have to spell it out for me,” Beca said.

“Were you serious when you said you’d fly here to see us?” 

“Every weekend if you want,” Beca said. “Til Bella gets comfortable with me and you guys can come here any time.”

“Don’t make it every weekend,” Stacie said. “I don’t want your career to take a hit. And you’re about to release an album, Beca.”

“So I’ll come down every few weeks,” Beca said.

“Let’s try it out then,” Stacie said. “Let’s commit to coming and staying here with us every few weeks, and talking. See how we do. Because I can’t stop thinking about you, but I still have to be cautious. For Bella’s sake.”

“That’s fair,” Beca said. “I’ll come down not this weekend but next. And you call me any time. I don’t want to interrupt Bella’s bed time or anything.” She was smiling so hard her face was going to break apart.

“And before I go, Beca, the album is going to do great,” Stacie said. “It’s amazing.”

“Did you read the little booklet thing?” Beca asked. “Near the back. I know it’s old school to still actually do the CD thing, but it still has a place.”

“I’ll read it as soon as I get off the phone,” she promised. “Beca?”

“Yeah, Stace?”

“I uh… love you too,” she said. There was a long silence. 

“That’s the fucking most awesome thing I’ve heard in a really long time,” Beca said sincerely. “I do have to go though, I have a breakfast press thing. But call me tomorrow? Or text, I don’t care. I just want to hear from you.”

“I will,” Stacie said. “Good night, Beca.”

“Good night,” she replied. 

Stacie hung up and immediately went looking for the booklet that had come in the CD. She scanned the miniscule print on the final page and found what Beca had been referring to.

_The biggest thanks goes to Mr Peabody & Sherman, for orchestrating a meeting that changed my life. _

It was enough to make her smile. Nobody reading it would ever know what the hell it meant, but they would. She texted Beca straight away.

[You’re adorable. I love it.]

Beca grinned at her screen. She’d wanted to mention Stacie somehow, since she’d been the inspiration for most of the work on the album, but she hadn’t wanted to put her on blast in case it opened her and Bella up to unwanted attention. She sent a response.

[I’m glad. Good night.]

Then she set her phone down, immediately pulling her laptop toward her. She wanted to book flights back home to Atlanta right now, she didn’t want it to fall by the wayside. After she was done, she simply headed for bed, content to dream about the gorgeous face awaiting her back in Barden, and the adorable miniature version alongside it.


End file.
